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Anorexia in Tortoises

Most cases of anorexia in tortoises occur when they wake up
from hibernation. Hibernation in temperate countries such as the UK is difficult
to manage because the season length is not the same as in the tortoise’s native
country and so they are often left to sleep for too long. The natural length for
a hibernation is around three months, so the tortoise should be woken in January
and brought inside to a warm environment. If it is left for longer it is likely
to develop problems which lead to anorexia, rather than the anorexia being a
condition in itself. In the case of animals, the term anorexia really means lack
of appetite, rather than a deliberate decision to abstain from food, which is
what it has come to mean in humans.

How long is too long?

When a tortoise wakes up, even from a perfectly managed
hibernation, it will probably be a while before it is eating normally. As a rule
of thumb, it should be eating and urinating as normal within a week of waking up
or being woken. A careful eye should be kept on the animal in any case for at
least three weeks after awakening, with a special watch being kept out for
natural appetite (rather than being specially tempted to eat), drinking,
defecation and urination. They should all be totally normal by the end of this
period and if they are not the animal should be taken to the vet. If no normal
activities are in place within six weeks, urination in particular, then the
prognosis is usually considered to be very poor.

Hibernation tips

In the wild, hibernation is really a rather extreme form of
natural selection. Those animals which are not in the peak of condition when
they go to sleep don’t usually wake up in spring and if you think of other
natural culls in the wild, such as sick gnus being eaten by crocodiles and
leopards and baby birds being turfed out of the nest by parent cuckoos, the
tortoise way seem really rather gentle. So as you want your tortoise to wake up
in the spring, it makes sense to take it to the vet for a pre-hibernation check
in the autumn and then any underlying problems such as a sub-clinical
respiratory tract infection, worms or any skin issues can be dealt with before
the animal is settled down for its sleep.

The hibernation place should be cool, or the tortoise will
wake up, but not so cold that the animal will freeze – this can cause damage
from frost bite and also blindness, when the cornea can be seriously damaged,
sometimes permanently. The tortoise should also be protected from vermin, as
some very nasty injuries or death can be caused if rats get into the tortoise’s
box and insect damage can also be very unpleasant. No one – least of all the
tortoise – wants the spring to bring a nasty surprise when the box is opened. If
all of these precautions are followed, then the hibernation should be
successful.

Waking your tortoise up

Some owners who have had their tortoise for years are
unaware that the hibernation period in the UK and many other places is far too
long. The winter in the tortoise’s natural home is usually less than three
months long and its physiology is based around that premise. Allowing your
tortoise to sleep for the whole of the British winter, which can be well over
six months long, is not good for its health and it is likely to result in a
rather seedy animal trying to get its body back in action when it does wake up.
A good way to get it going again is warm baths in shallow water and a heat lamp
in an indoor enclosure until the weather outside warms up and the tortoise is
back in peak condition. It is unlikely to want any food for a day or two, but
tempting items replaced daily so it is always fresh is a good addition to the
habitat and that way you will notice at once when it has resumed eating.

Dehydration is a common problem post hibernation and so
water or very wet food should always be available so that the animal can
rehydrate at its own speed. Sunken eyes are the symptom to watch for; they
should soon improve as the tortoise gets moving around.

Anorexia at other times

All animals tend to lose their appetite when they are
unwell and this is often the first hint an owner might get that something is
amiss. A tortoise in an outside enclosure is not so easy to monitor as it may
well spend its time grazing so uneaten food may not necessarily mean that it is
not eating at all. If you suspect that the animal is really not eating and want
to make sure, remove it from the grass substrate and keep it warm inside for a
day or two and monitor its intake. If it is not eating, check it for signs of
illness such as runny nose or ulcerative stomatitis (mouth rot) which can be
very painful and make eating difficult. When a tortoise is kept outside it still
sometimes will need warmth at night, as the British summer is not very reliable.
A house inside, in a shed or garage, should always be available as if the
tortoise gets too cold and its metabolism drops, its intake of food is the first
thing to reduce.

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